The President of ICMSA confirmed that the water shortage situation was most acute in the south east – specifically Kilkenny, Wicklow and parts of Laois, but Pat McCormack said that concerns were mounting right across the country amongst his mostly dairy farmer membership: “The worry levels are going up as quickly as the thermometer levels and we’re getting engaged with the most pressing problems in the most press locations. In fairness to them, we have been contacted by Irish Water who acknowledged our demand that they go past just issuing information via local radio or their websites and start contacting their individual farmer-customers and letting them know what the situation is. We think that’s minimum service that a dairy farmer paying €5000 -odd per annum is entitled to and Irish Water have supplied us with contact details for their senior personnel on the ground and ICMSA will be going back to them with our contacts, we’re happy to mediate and spread the word amongst farmers in any given area about what’s going to happen and when. One other point I’d make is the onus here to come up with feasible supply options is squarely on Irish Water. ICMSA will absolutely not accept a situation where the agency directly charged with providing water – for which farmers pay and have always paid – just shrugs its shoulders and says they can’t supply the water that we need to look after our animals – the welfare of which is an obligation that farmers take very, very seriously”, said Mr. McCormack.